Feeler mechanism for looms



H. A. DAVHS FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Dec. 8', 1925.

Filed April 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY angs, is a specification,

Patented Dec. 8, W 29i,

i we v' i w FEELEE MECHAIHSBE FOR LQQMS,

Application filed April 3, 1925. Serial 3T0. 20,401.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, HARRY A. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and Siii'rte of lifassachnsetts, have invented an improvement in lleeler lifechanisms for Looms, of which the following description in connection with the accompanying drawlike characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to looms and more particularly to feeler mechanisms whereby the operation of the loom is changed or filiing replenished from time to time. In that type of feeler mechanisms wherein the feeler has periods of activity andinactivity during weaving with the same supply of filling in the shuttle, now commonly known in the art as intermittent feelers, the feeler is held ;in an inactive position for periods of time and is released at intervals to its periods of activity. lVhen the feeler is released to its periods of activity, it is desirable that it shall move to full feeling position before it performs its detecting function, or when the lay in a back position, or at least in such backward position as not to interfere with the feelerassuming its full feeling position. Should the feeler meet the filling in the sl'iuttle on a detecting beat before the feeler has moved to its full feeling position, it is liable not to accurately detect the condition of the filling or to prematurely call for a change of filling, owing to the energetic impact of the advancing filling and back wardly moving feeler. When the feeler is released to its period of activity, any sluggish action of the feeler releasing means is liable to effect release of the feeler under the objectionable conditions hereinbefore mentioned, and one of the objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a quick-acting trip timed with relation to the other loom parts, so that when the moment for the release of the feeler has arrived the feeler releas, trip will act in consonancwith the other loom parts to effect a quick release of the feeler so that it may move to full feeling position before performing its detecting function.

Another object of the present invention is to provide -a quicleacting worm for positively controlling the operation of the trip mechanism to effect a quick release of the feeler when the trip mechanism is rendered active.

The invention, new combination of parts and novel features thereof will'best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form of the invention.

.ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a loom provided with the present invention, only the detecting side of the loom being shown;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation, showing more particularly the quick-acting worm and associated parts for effecting a quick trip of the feeler;

Fig. 3 is a section Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4- is a side view worm to be described.

The function of the feeler mechanism is to effect a change in the loom operation from time to time, and such change in the operation of the loolninay be either loom stoppage or replenishment of filling, and in the present instance of the invention, filling replenishment is to be ef ected. The details of the filling replenishing mechanism are not herein shown and described, because they are now well-known in the art and the details thereof form no essential part of the present invention.

The loom frame 1 may be of usual construction, having the breast beam 2 on which is supported by brackets 3, one at each side of the loom, a transverse or rock shaft (t which has secured thereto an arm 5 extend ing upwardly and pivotally connected at (3 to an actuator or arm 7.

Pivotally connected to the arm 7 at 8 is a rearwardly extending finger 9 which is adapted at times to be engaged by an actuator i0 operated from a going part of the loom, and herein shown as connected to the cam follower. T he arm 9 has secured thereto a fin 11 which overlies an arm 12 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 13 to a support appropriately carried by the loom frame. The other arm 15 of the bell crank lever is connected to a transmitter 16 which is itself connected atl'i to'atransversely movable on the line 3-3 of of the quick-acting slide 18 movable in bearings 19 at the rear port-ion of the feeler stand 20. The feeler stand 20 is adjustably secured to the shipper stand 21 or a bracket secured thereto, by means of a bolt 22.

The feeler 23 passes through the slide 18 and has a frontwardly extending; stem 2iwhich passes throu 'h a bearing 25 mounted at the front of the Ieeler stand, and between the bearings 25 and a bridge or shoulder 26 on the feeler is a spring 27 which normally acts to move the feeler into its rearward feeling position. The parts so far described may be substantially the same as the similar parts more fully exploited in the patent to Edward S. Stimpson, No. 1,809,226, July 8, 1919, and while the advantages of the present invention are manifested in connection with this type of feeler, it is to be understood that the invention may be advantageously employed in connection with any usual form of feeler.

Vfhen the feeler is in its inactive position it is to be held preferably out of engagement with the filling on detecting beats, and to this end a holding device is employed which, in the present invention, consists of a detent 2S pivotally mounted at 29 on a bracket 30 adjustably 'ecured to the feeler stand and normally under the influence of a spring 31 which acts to hold the detent in its feeler holding position. The feeler 23 is provided with a tooth or shoulder 32, the rearward face portion of which is inclined laterally relative to the front portion of the detent, the construction being such that when the feeler is moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat and is engaged by the holding device or detent, the angular relation of the engaging faces of the holding; device or detent and the shoulder or tooth on the feeler will cause the feeler to be moved laterally to an extent sufficient to hold it beyond the reach of the filling on detectin. beats during the i'celers periods of inactivity. These parts are herein shown substantially the same as the similar parts in the patent to .lldward S. Stimpson, No. 1,507,129, Sept. 2, 1924-, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to this type of holding means for the feeler but may be advantageously employed in connection with any holding device for holding the feeler in a frontward position during its period of inactivity.

In accordance with the present invention, the feeler is to be released to its periods of activity from time to time and as shown, such release of the feeler is effected by movement of the holding device or detent by means of a sheathed wire ill which is longitudinally movable in the flexible sheath 85 and passes through a bearing 03 L11. bracket 30 to engage beneath a lug 37, substantially, in this respect, as more fully shown and described. in the Stimpson fiatent, No. 1,507,129. The sheathed wire affords a good practical means for moving the holding device or detent to free the feeler, but so far as the present invention is concerned, any appropriate means may be employed in this connection.

lxllountec in suitable bearings 38 secured to the loom frame is a worm shaft 39 which is actuated from the und r or cam shaft l9, and such worm shaft may if desired be the usual worm shaft employed in a worm driven taite up mechanism, as indicated in Fig. '1, wherein the take-up mechanism coni as usual,

sists of a train of gearn 5 i, the construction being such that as the worm shaft 39 is rotated, the take-up mechanism will be actuated to take up the cloth as woven.

The worm shaft 39 has mounted thereon the worm sleeve arrying a quick-acting worm a l; that is, the worm -l-l consists 0 one or more teeth preferably arrzmggged at right angles to the axis of the worm sha' 39 for the mai r part of their extent an: hin ing the st, lcaciii'lg POP angered or qu imparting a steep pitch tion 4.5 formed by A to a short portion of the worm thread, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Many looms now in ordinary use are provided with the worm shaft 39 and. worm driven take-up mechanism, and it is the purpose of the present intention to adapt the quick-acting worm for applicatioi'i to the worm share of a loom already provided with the wot a take-up. The worm sleeve thereof is shown as formed in two parts, divided loi'igitudinally of the worm sh aft 39 and connected together and to the shaft by inc-ants oi" the bolts 46, and each of the two part worm sl eve carries part of the worm ll, the construction being: such that the quick-actin; worm for actuating the trip mechanism, as will be later explained, ma

be applied advantageously to looms already equipped with the worm talte-up.

Secured to the loom frame a e lower front portion thereof is a hracke the rom a beat" on mounted a mud or dead shaft if) warryiu i worm wheel 50, the teeth 51 o which is which mesh with the teeth of the llicit-acting; worm the coustrlmtion being,- i at as the worm 4:4: is rotated with the worm raft 39, it ll positively control the worm wheel and impart thereto from time to time ufi the staggered or quick-acting: portion of the worm passes through the teeth of h-o worm. whi. l a quick, rotaiire movement.

As shown in the present instance of the invention, the worm wheel 39 is provid with a hub portion 52 trip l. Fivotally mounted o the bracket shown, at 5 1-, is arm 55 upon. he upper hating; V

surface of which at 56 rests the lower end portion of the flexible sheathed wire 34 which passes through a bearing 57 which may be conveniently supported by an arm 58 secured to or formed as part of .the bracket 18.

The pivotally supported arm carries a projection 59 which is normally in the path of movement of the trip lug 53 on the hub of the worm wheel 50, the effect being that when the trip lug 53 rises beneath and engages the projection 59, the arm 55 will be suddenly lifted, thereby imparting to the sheathed wire at a longitudinal movement to quickly release the feeler from its holding means.

The staggered portion 45 of the quick acting worm is formed to impart a quick movement to the worm wheel 50 the full distance necessary to carry the trip lug 53 into full lifting engagement with the projection 59, as the quick acting portion 45 of the worm passes between the teeth of the worm wheel to thereby effect a quick release of the feeler. After the quick-acting portion of the worm has thus acted to effect a quick release of the feeler, the circular portion of the worm maintains or locks the worm wheel 50 during its periods of rest, thereby obviating any retrograde movement of the worm wheel. In other words, the worm wheel is under positive control of the quick-acting worm at all times, first, to effect a quick release of the feeler, and then lock the worm wheel or control its movements positively throughout the subsequent operations of the worm.

The lay 60 carries the usual shuttle box 61, the front wall of which has an opening 62 which registers with a similar opening 63 in the shuttle 64 when the latter is in the detecting box, in order to permit the feeler 23 to enter the shuttle and feel for the filling. This is of usual construction.

From the construction described as one good practical form of the present invention, it will be apparent that when the parts have been timed to effect release of the feeler with the lay in a back position, the feeler by the quick release will move to its full feeling position before detecting the condition of the filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a loom, the combination of a feeler having periods of activity and inactivity with the same supply of filling in the shuttle, a device for holding the feeler during its periods of inactivity and a quick-acting trip for freeing the feeler at intervals, comprising a shaft, a worm operated by said shaft and having a quick-acting portion formed by imparting a steep pitch to a short portion of the worm thread, a worm wheel engaged by the worm, a trip lug actuated by the worm wheel, and means between the trip lug and saidholding divice for effecting quick release of the feeler from said device.

'2. In a loom, the combination of thefeeler, a device forholding the feeler in a front ward position, a worm shaft having a worm provided with a quick-acting portion formed by impartinga steep pitch to a short portion of the worm thread, a worm wheel operated by said worm and having a trip, and means between the trip and said holding device to effect quick release of the feeler.

3. In a loom, the combination of a feeler, a device for holding the feeler in a frontward position, a worm shaft having a worm provided with a dwell portion anda quickacting portion, a worm wheel operated by said worm and having a trip, and means between the trip and said holding device to effect quick release of the feeler.

4. In a loom, the combination of a feeler, a device for holding the feeler in a frontward inactive position, a worm wheel having a trip, a shaft, a worm mounted on the shaft and having teeth with a quick-acting portion to impart a quick step-by-step movement to the worm wheel, and means actuated by the trip to effect quick release of the feeler at intervals.

5. In a loom, the combination of a feeler, a device for holding the feeler in an inactive position, a worm wheel supported adjacent the lower front portion of the loom and hav ing a trip, a worm shaft, a worm on said shaft engaged with the worm wheel and provided with teeth having a quick-acting portion formed by imparting a short steep pitch to the portion of the worm thread between two of its teeth to impart to the worm wheel a quick movement during rotation of the worm, and means operated by the trip at intervals for effecting quick release of the feeler from said holding device.

6. In a loom, the combination of a feeler, a device for holding the feeler in an inactive position, a take-up mechanism, a shaft for operating the take-up mechanism, a quickacting worm on said shaft having a short steeply inclined thread portion between two teeth, a worm wheel engaged with the quickacting worm and having a trip lug, and. means actuated by the trip lug at intervals to effect the quick release of the feeler from said holding device.

7. In a loom, the combination of a feeler, a device for holding the feeler in an inactive position during periods of inactivity of the feeler, a worm wheel having a trip lug, a shaft, a staggered worm on said shaft engaged with the worm wheel to impart a quick movement thereto and positively lock said worm wheel between such movements, and means actuated during a quick movement of. the worm wheel to effect quick release of the feeler from the holding device.

8. In a loom, the combination of a feeler, having periods of activity and inactivity, with the same supply of filling in the shuttle, a device for holding the feeler in a frontward position during its periods of in activity, a worm wheel having a trip, .L wornifoi' rotating the Worm wheel with a quick step-by-step movement and provided with a thread having a short steep pitch hi tween its teeth, and means between the trip and said holding device to efiect quick release of the feeler.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY A. DAVIS, 

